To borrow from my m8's across the pond; What a complete load of bollocks. So here's the article . Essentially they're letting you use the images now in an 'open-embed program' that is all cool “as long as the service gets to append a footer at the bottom of the picture with a credit and link to the licensing page. “.

Uh huh... go on....

What about people just stealing them to use anywhere they please? You know, without the watermark that used to be there...?

“...according to Craig Peters, a business development exec at Getty Images, that ship sailed long ago. "Look, if you want to get a Getty image today, you can find it without a watermark very simply," he says. "The way you do that is you go to one of our customer sites and you right-click. Or you go to Google Image search or Bing Image Search and you get it there. And that's what's happening… Our content was everywhere already."

I see.... please do go on, I am listening keenly.

It now features “native code for sharing in Twitter and Tumblr alongside the traditional WordPress-friendly embed code. “

This of course is going to be in the form of an i-frame that could potentially show ads and/or collect user data. I for one, am damned interested in a close look at the TOS of this bloody idea. When asked if this was the case, now or in the future, the Getty rep said, "We've certainly thought about it”.

I'll bet you fckn have there sunshine.

He later added, “"We've seen what YouTube's done with monetizing their embed capabilities,"

Hey Dave, What's the Big Deal?

That's what you just said right? No? Shit... voices are coming back again.

Anyway, there's an entire side of the story not being told here. The one about the evil shits that spent the last 7 or so years suing and intimidating the little peeps of the web in a heartless campaign that probably funded a few of those purchases they made (of other image websites).

I mean seriously. A web designer or content creator might buy an image from Getty, use it in a project... but the client is now liable. Why? Because the liscence is non-transferrable on many of their properties (they own a TON of other image sites).

That 300px wide image you used? Will now be costing the client around $1200, via threatening legal letter. That's the tip of the iceburg. I do encourage you to use the links above to get the level of fear they've created (and we complain about Google... LOL).

Right... so where's the elephant in the room? One has to wonder why they've avoided some potential infringers ... oh, I dunno... just for fun let's say; Facebook. Well, not only would it be one expensive battle, but they might actually lose. Which might set a precedent.. and ... uuuhm. See where that's headed?

This new stance of 'the images are already out there, we throw our hands up' just seems to smell a bit from where I'm sitting.

Ok, this popcorn is makin' me thirsty. Toss me a beer would ya?

An SEO Shit Storm

At the end where they try to play this move off as a way around infringement issues, which they apparently have no way of dealing with (uhm... ) he says,

"The principle is to turn what's infringing use with good intentions, turning that into something that's valid licensed use with some benefits going back to the photographer, and that starts really with attribution and a link back."

I am going to have to assume that these aren't clean links right, (ie; have nofollow attribute)? And hey, everyone out there that starts grabbing them knows the inherent risk with some embeds and ads in places they shouldn't be? I mean, once they start fapping ads into that contextual space of mine above the fold, that couldn't in anyway cause some kind of algorithmic dampening (yea, I didn't say 'penalty', wanna make somethin' of it?)?

They've played on the side of ignorance for gain in the past. I doubt they'll be worried about the bloggers of the world now, going forward. I somehow doubt that they've suddenly had a change of heart. Because seemingly in the past, they didn't actually have one.

Anyway, that;s enough of that. Thanks for the popcorn and the pint, but methinks I'll need a much bigger bag and at least a case of the hard stuff. This one's going to turn into a mini-series. Settle in.

Hey gang, long time no yak right? I really haven't been writing here over the last year or more because, well... I started Search News Central and have been writing there as well as other locales (such as Search Engine Watch)/. It all started because many friends in the business wanted a leg up by writing here and I figured a new site would be a great idea.

That was then, this is now....

Over the last 6 months we've come to the realization that we don't have the time and staff here to really manage both SNC and our sister site, the SEO Training Dojo. And so, I am considering selling off SNC.

Also up for sale in today's awesome Gypsy sell off, is Reliable SEO. Once upon a time I had seperate websites for our web design and SEO services. Back in January of this year we brought everything back together over on Verve Developments. As such, I no longer have need for the Reliable SEO domain. It is now on the block as well.

While I am fielding offers, if I don't get one that I like, I shall likely just move the content from the sites and redirect. We're not GIVING them away.... a great deal of luv and effort went into the sites.

Here's some details on each;

Search News Central

This is our news site as mentioned earlier. While it was set up to cover many aspects of search and social, the core content is mostly SEO centric at this time.

We've been fairly active but never really set about a strong social media campaign to build out the channels. There's a ton that can be done on this end to improve things. Again, we never had the time to commit.

YouTube / Video; one of the recent things we started doing was more in terms of video. We had a few in our posts and also started doing monthly LIVE events via Google Plus Hangouts.

Traffic and Rankings

Sadly, we've also never really spent the time on SEO for the site. LOL. Yea I hear ya, STFU aight? Between the Dojo and client work, she was the ugly duckling of the family.

Traffic; on a good day she only does about 600 unique visitors / day, she's had some 35k uniques this year. And really, this year sucked as we slowly realized we couldn't keep up. The previous years were far better.

Rankings; as with most blog/news type sites, a great deal of the search traffic comes from terms related to the various posts, not the 'money terms'. The (not provided) from Google is a staggering 77.9%. As such it's a bit tough to tell exactly what's driving the most traffic.

We rank around 21st for [search news] and about the same for [SEO news]. Those are about the only 'money terms' as far as that goes.

Site;

Articles; there are currently 396 articles on the site.

CMS; is on Joomla CMS with JoomlaMagazine for display elements.

At this point the main thing required is a new template. To freshen things up and add responsive design. We can assist with that (for the right price) or we can help move everything onto a WordPress or other CMS if desired (again, for the right price).

Authors; we currently have around 20 authors. Some notibles that have posted past and present include;

David Harry (obviously)

Terry Van Horne

Anthony Verre

Barry Adams

Doc Sheldon

Gabriella Sannino

Ian Lurie

Garrett French

Mike Wilton

David Iwanow

Glenn Gabe

Michelle Stinson Ross

Jim Hedger

Gerald Weber

Penalization History

No manual actions have ever been taken against the site

No hits from Google Panda/Penguin against the site

The site has never been hit with anything and has a strong trust factor as far as Google is concerned.

Revenue Stream;

Well..lol.. that's an easy one. There is none. Sadly this is an area we really hadn't focused on as we wanted to establish the site before really getting into this end of things. That, and as mentioned earlier, we really just didn't have the time nor manpower to get into this properly.

Terms

We will help manage the site for 1 month and train your people to use the author communication system as well as adding content to the site as needed. We won't run the site, but we will assist with the transition.

We will continue to also assist in the ongoing social channel promotion including posting SNC content on streams from the SEO Dojo and my personal accounts. This will also run for the first month or so.

We require that our advertising on the site remain for a period of 6 months. At this time we have banners running for SEO Training Dojo, SEO Pros and Verve Developments. And hey, it looks good for attracting new advertisers when there's already some on the site. Right?

As per above, we will continue to run adverts and show links to SNC via our other properties. That amounts to some 1200 links in total.

And there you have it. She's certainly not kicking ass, but the potential and ground work is there. It can't be stressed enough that I will just move the top posts/pages and just redirect them, before I'll let the site go for a pittance. There's just far too much value and time in for me to not make that stipulation.

Want me to stick around as a figurehead? Let me know... that option might be something I'd consider for the right price.

Reliable SEO

This is the little baby of the two, but I love 'er just as much. As far as some details, there really aren't much. Our time was spent on the other sites and my client work. Marketing myself via Reliable was never really needed.

.... and more. Again, we don't 'build' links to our sites and as such, there's a good trust and authority in the link profiles.

Citations; it should also be noted that we have some non-link citations from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and multiple times from Media Post. It should be noted these are citations such as "David Harry from Reliable SEO" and the like.

As for ToolBar PageRank etc.... (for those that care) the site has

Google TBPR; 3

Moz DA; 35

Ahrefs DR; 98

Social Media Channels

We did barely ANY social media activity and building for this site. The channels are in place at least, but that's about it lol. The website's social media channels are as follows;

Traffic and Rankings

Again, broken record time, there's not been much effort on this front. Most of the search traffic comes from terms related to [SEO KPI] and [SEO benchmarks] which is a post in the knowledge base section of the site.

Penalization History

The site has never been hit with anything and has a strong trust factor as far as Google is concerned.

And that's about it for that one... Obviously I am not looking for a King's Ransom here. What's more important is that I have been associated with the domain for many years and I won't let just anyone take it over. I'd rather redirect before giving it to someone that might tarnish it's image.

Want me to stick around as a figurehead? Let me know... that option might be something I'd consider.

Anyway, I am sending this out to the folks I know in the industry for first cracks at them. In fact, if I can't find someone I trust/like to pass these too, it won't happen. I can't really put my children into the hands of anyone I think might sully the name. I'd rather just move content and redirect.

If you're interested in talking about either of these, please do get in touch by email (likely anyone I'd sell to already has mine) or hit me up via the contact page on this site here.

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said:

The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course. The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.

SEO Style;

This speaks to timing. Knowing when to move and when not to can be quite important in SEO. It might be a seasonal target where we need to hit the space with velocity timed to peak. It may be a program that seeks virality; timing can be everything.

The SEO warrior must be conscious of timing. Knowing when to strike will help to ensure victory.

Sun Tzu said:

Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.

SEO Style;:

In the early parts we again consider timing V preparation and strategy. I've seen link bait fail by missing a moment. Programs gone astray by not realizing core keyword evolutions. Many a arge corporations weakness in battle is the inability to be nimble. Timing plays a roll across all aspects of our world.

Sun Tzu said:

Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all; amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat.

SEO Style;:

If we have undertaken the planning, the strategy and other steps along this journey, then our strategy may seem like no strategy at all. It seems chaotic not planned. Our competitor should never see us coming. Even to the trained eye our SEO programs seem unclear or non-existant. Let others in the query space concern them with each other, considering your successes to be chance, while you move past and defeat them all.

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said:

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.

Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.

SEO Style;

Again, all battle consists of direct and indirect attacks. If we go beyond keywords we can consider vertical assets. We may come in direct (doing on-page SEO) but soon we must start using indirect methods (social media, public relations, outreach etc..). We can consider here that direct cannot exist in a void. We must always find indirect elements to enhance the program.

Sun Tzu said:

There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

SEO Style;:

Nuff said... the options are infinite in the world of SEO. It is how we combine and use the tactics that make the program.

Sun Tzu said:

In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack: the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.

The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle—you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?

SEO Style;:

We take what we've considered about direct and indirect strategy, from keywords to programs. And consider while there are two constants, the many ways in which we can approach them is many. This is often the true art of SEO; knowing what to do, where to do it, how much and when.

We'll be back next week and I'll start posting 2x per til we 'git r done'.

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said:

The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.

SEO Style;

Most readily this speaks to our resources, in particular staffing and teams. But not as readily digestible as it may at first seem. Each team must be equal in members and leaders. One of the more common mistakes I've seen is companies that grow faster than they can find talent to lead and do. Ensure talent, communication and systemic elements are consistent.

The load you bear will increase exponentially with the size of the team or company you are leading. Respect it not fear.

Sun Tzu said:

To ensure that your whole host may withstand the brunt of the enemy's attack and remain unshaken—this is effected by maneuvers direct and indirect. That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone dashed against an egg—this is effected by the science of weak points and strong.

SEO Style;:

In many of the interpretations I came across they speak of direct and indirect movements to throw the opponent off balance. Actions intended to confuse or to mislead. Attacking direct when setting up for the indirect attack and vice verse. Fixate the enemy's attention in one area and snatch victory in another.

In SEO we can consider this in many ways. One may be to make targets obvious and others not as much. Have them waste resources on a core high value target while you snatch up all the modified longer tail terms, (which generally convert better as well). Don't make your SEO strategy obvious.

Thanks for dropping in. After a year off, I shall endeavour to finish the series in the coming weeks. Drop your own thoughts in the comments...

It's been nearly a year since I posted over here, but will be doing a re-design and getting back to the Art of War; SEO Style series in the new year. The Trail shall live on.

Anyway, as has been the tradition for a few years, we're making merry giving peeps social avatars for the holidays (see last year's version here). We've even got a head start already with a few folks (see below). If you're interested, just track me down on Twitter, Google+, Facebook or leave a comment and we shall hook ya up!!

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said:

The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.

In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory. Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of chances.

SEO Style;

Essentially the ability to succeed will rest with you. Each link in the chain from planning to strategy to execution depends on the other and you have the power to control the outcome. I hear you saying, “What if Google changes the game?”. Then your strategy and planning must account for this potential.

Sun Tzu said:

A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.

SEO Style;:

And so success lies in bringing all the elements (discussed so far in this series) to bear in an organized and timely manner. When you do it right, success is all but guaranteed with your program. Weaknesses become strengths, the unforeseen becomes seen

Hey gang, as you may or may not know, I am using this as my personal blog for musing and other fun. Most of my writing will now be done at Search News Central, Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land. But since a lot of folks still come here, it seems a good idea to give you an update on recent news

SEO Dojo T-shirts - back last fall there was a post here with some funky shirt ideas and after finding some time in my insane schedule, we manage to get them together. Go have a look, I hope you like them. More to come soon.

Social Signals and SEO - was an article I posted this week on SNC that looks at the over growing hyperbole surrounding the world of social signals and search. Hopefully this sheds some light on it all and we can be a little more realistic moving forward.

Patents 2010 - for those of my geeking brethren, I did a series of posts rounding up the various patents of interest from the big 3 (now 2?). You can find them here; Google, Bing, Yahoo!

Search Geeks Speak; Danny Sullivan - we've started a new show on SEO Dojo Radio where we will be talking to various people from the search industry. The first show kicked things off well as Danny Sullivan dropped by to hang out. A good time had by all.

And there you have it... I hope 2011 is going well for you and we'll cya in da' SERPs!